News release from the National Park Service
PORT ANGELES, Wash. — On July 20, a four-year-old child was injured by a mountain lion near the Victoria Overlook area on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. Witnesses to the event should call 888-653-0009 or email nps_isb@nps.gov. Park staff located and dispatched the animal on July 21. There are no current threats to the public.
Rangers were notified of the attack at around 3:15 p.m. on July 20. According to initial reports, a collared mountain lion bit a child walking with their family on a popular trail.
Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue (Clallam County Fire District 2) paramedics and park staff responded to the incident and transferred the victim via LifeFlight to a Level 1 Trauma Center. The patient is undergoing treatment for their injuries in a Seattle hospital. To protect their privacy, identifying details will not be released at this time.
Rangers began searching for the cougar immediately following the incident. A canine team joined the search at approximately 5 p.m. the same day. Rangers located the cougar shortly after the canine team joined the effort but did not complete the dispatch operation until the following morning.
This incident is under investigation. No additional information or photos are available at this time.
For more information about cougar safety, visit:
- Cougar – Olympic National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
- Mountain Lion Safety | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
NATIONAL PARK NEWS
